The Lost Child
by formerAnnie
Summary: The Atlantis team comes across an unusual young woman during a trade mission days after their encounter with the Pegasus Asgard. She disappears into thin air soon after their meeting and, after traveling to Earth with the Ancient city, they do not expect to see her again. They, SG-1, and one of their members in particular will be in for quite a surprise.
1. An Average Day for an SG Team

Hello, my wonderful readers and welcome to my Stargate SG1/Atlantis story, _The Lost Child_. I'm not planning on this one being longer than fifteen chapters, so it's not too much of a long haul.

This first chapter begins after Season 5, "First Contact" of Stargate Atlantis. Please enjoy and review, if you like. :)

An Average Day for an SG Team

"So, why are we here again?" Ronan grumbled, taking long, bored strides as the Atlantis team followed the weed-covered forest path away from the gate.

Rodney rolled his eyes and nearly tripped on a root sticking out of the ground. Though it seemed to be late autumn on this planet, at least it wasn't too cold.

"Didn't I mention that in the briefing?" No answer. "Does anyone listen to my briefings?" Teyla graciously raised her hand, while Shepherd just looked guilty. "We're here_ because _these people are trading partners with the Athosians and requested our help in order to improve their power supply without attracting the Wraith with any signs of threatening technology.

"You mean _your _help."

"Yes! Because I just happen to be the genius of everything, monkey boy."

"Including humility?"

"Aw, just…just shut up!"

"And why did _we_ have to come?"

"Backup? I don't know!"

"Quiet, both of you," growled Col. Shepherd. "I think our greeting party has arrived."

Sure enough, not even a few seconds later, a tall, thin man and a pretty, rather full-chested woman of thirty rounded the bend in the treed path and bowed shortly to the newcomers. They both had wavy black hair and brown eyes; their earth-colored clothes were simple and unadorned, but very clean and well kempt.

"Teyla, it is good to see you again. I am Kivara, leader of my village," said the woman with a rich low voice. "Welcome to Medevra. Which of you is Colonel Shepherd?"

"Uh, that would be me," John replied with a lop-sided grin. McKay's quick reaction was a distinct muttering of 'Kirk.'

"And which of you is the scientist who could very well be the instrument of our civilization's advancement."

"Dr. Rodney McKay."

"You can just call me 'Rodney'," the mentioned man piped up with a boyish grin. There was no way he was going to let Shepherd's cute personality beat his infinitely greater mind in impressing the ladies on this planet. Both Teyla and Ronan merely looked away in disgust at their friends' subtle (yet not-so-subtle) antics.

* * *

"So, you basically you harvest a ton of peat from the fens just outside this forest in the summer and use it for fuel in the winter. But how? You have – what? – three hundred people in this village, using _peat_ for heat, power, cooking, and all that. They couldn't possibly get enough from this area every year without running out. Peat takes thousands if not millions of years to develop! And you keep this all hidden from Wraith? You live in log cabins and caves. Where is the power generated? How do you manage?"

"The gods are good to us and...we have our ways," Kivara answered cryptically, "…which I will tell you at a later time. For now, let us finish our meal with talk of what improvements you have in mind."

Teyla suddenly stood from the rough-hewn table before Rodney could continue.

"My apologies, but I wish to inquire after this year's trade possibilities and I do not wish to take up any more of Col. Shepherd's time after you finish your discussions."

"I'm coming too," Ronon volunteered, nearly knocking his chair backwards in his eagerness to escape any more of McKay's technobabble. Shepherd looked longingly after them, but someone had to stay behind and keep Rodney from inviting the whole village back to Atlantis to see his research. The main town was carefully placed next to the cave-riddled mountain, the rock of which seemed to be difficult for the Atlantis scanners to penetrate. Half of the villagers dwelled in the spacious caves, while the rest stayed in the cabins.

Teyla sighed with relief upon breathing the open air again.

"Thanks for the excuse," Ronon said. The woman warrior smiled at her friend's constant state of restlessness.

"My people came to negotiate this year's trade with this world months ago. I only wish to investigate this power source of theirs. Didn't you find it odd that men and women of all ages just seem to be…relaxing, playing, or tinkering?"

Ronon picked up an offered piece of fruit from a small girl and sniffed it.

"Kivara said they harvested the peat stuff in the summer."

"Yes, but there should still be a fair amount of people tending the fires that support this power, however it is actually done. There are hundreds of people in this village, from what I saw in that short tour, both here and in the caves. All of them seemed to be using power for something – fires, light, heat. Who is working to generate it? Their technology isn't advanced enough to be that efficient."

"Are you thinking they're hiding something?"

"I can't imagine that these people have any intentions beyond survival and improvement, but I have been wrong before…with the Genii." Ronon looked around for any watchers and promptly started walking away quickly. "Ronon, what are you doing?"

"You wanna see if they're hiding something or not? I saw a small path leading out of the village, next to the mountain. Maybe we'll find something."

"And what if we're caught?"

"We'll tell 'em we got lost."

"Very well… From Rodney's briefing on the Medevrans' use of peat, it sounds like, the sooner they find an alternative for power, the better. An uncontrolled fire could be devastating."

"It's worked for them so far."

Once out of the village, the duo walked for a mere fifteen minutes through the forest with the rocky hill to their left before they encountered something of interest. There was a thirty-foot clearing in the trees with five large, round grates in the dirt, emitting large amounts of smoke. They seemed to have found the power site. In the middle of the area was a three-foot hole with a metal ladder leading down; however, they couldn't see anything in the hole for all of the smoke clouding the entrance.

Teyla and Ronon exchanged wary glances. Ronon jumped onto the ladder and disappeared; Teyla had no choice but to follow.

Things were clearer below; it was a large, boiling hot room with a gaping furnace on both sides and a giant stack of square chunks of peat covering an entire wall. These furnaces were connected to numerous pipes attached to the wall. (The smoke made their eyes sting and almost instantly produced coughing.) There were two people, as well: a man of about thirty, whose movement was restricted to the space between the furnace and the pile by a chain on his ankle, and a young woman of about twenty. Both were grimy, exhausted, covered with sweat, and coughing occasionally. The man continued to slowly haul peat into his respective furnace, all his energy seemingly focused on that one task, but the woman, who remained unchained, stopped and walked towards the strangers.

"We've gotten our supper already and you don't look like any of Kivara's usual messengers, so who are you?"

Teyla stepped forward cautiously. Frankly, she was worried. From all the years she had come here with her people to trade, she hadn't seen past the seeming convenience of the people's winter power supply to imagine something like this harsh labor.

"My name is Teyla Emmagan and this is Ronon Dex. We are travelers from another world and wanted to see how the Medevran's get their power without sending their working age people to do any work. You couldn't possibly be the only ones keeping the fires going!"

"Guess…" She stopped to cough, a dry and painful-sounding cough. "Guess again."

"Why is your companion chained? Are there others?"

A guilty look flashed across the girl's face.

"It wasn't always like this, from what I hear. The people did their own work, even after the yearly harvest – they sent people down here in short shifts. But, then the 'gods blessed them' and dropped me here to do the work for them. Since I can't do all of the work, they keep their 'worst criminals' down here with me. In reality, that usually means the people who get nosey about where their power comes from. We're here in the daytime to stoke the fires; the villagers keep warm with wood fires at night."

"So…there are others?"

"Since it's still fall, they only need two down here. In the winter, there's at least five or six. Never more. The other ones never last long."

Teyla raised her eyebrows in alarm.

"They die? How long have you been here?"

The girl laughed dryly.

"Too long. Not that it matters. I don't have a choice."

"It does matter. We can bring you back with us; you'll be safe. The Medevrans are looking for a more efficient power source, anyway, so they won't need you."

"I'm sure," was the mocking answer.

The man had stopped working and looked at his friend hopefully.

"Evie, do you know what this means?" he asked with a desperate tone, fighting a coughing fit. "We can be free."

'Evie' turned back around and looked at him, shoulders slumped. His ankle chain had suddenly just come loose.

"You can go, Josar."

"What about you?"

"I don't know if I can."

"Wanna bet?" Ronon abruptly asked, striding forward, hauling the girl over his shoulder, and heading up the ladder. Evie was not pleased.

"Put me down, you big ape! You don't understand. I can't leave!"

Teyla rolled her eyes and followed with Josar. A whistle had already started to wail in protest of the fires not being kept perfect. Above ground, Evie was sitting on the ground and scowling up at Ronon.

"Why can't you leave? You weren't chained in there. You could've left at any time."

"The Ancestors," was all she offered, but Teyla's interest was increased significantly. She looked at Ronon and quickly demanded,

"Go and tell Colonel Shepherd about this. I don't think he'll be wanting anymore negotiations." When Ronon ran off, she turned back to the workers. "Now, could one of you tell me what exactly is going on?"

Josar piped up.

"She just…appeared about a year and a half ago, just before the first frost. The elders thought it was a gift from the Ancestors…she seemed impervious to any disease or physical malady – perfect for this work. I was one of the people who discovered her. She was unconscious and naked in the middle of a field…no memory of her previous life and no connections here. And, just when she appeared, the peat bogs just seemed to replenish themselves, out of nowhere!

"When she disappeared, most of us thought she had been put to good use, as a gift should be, but others got suspicious that she was being abused. Month after month, the suspicious ones just disappeared and the power kept running. Last week, I discovered her down here and got caught…this is what I get for looking for the truth. Less work for most people doesn't mean a better way of living."

"You know your people. How will they react to the power being stopped?"

"They won't be happy. And Kivara's guards will probably kill us before anyone can speak against her."

"In that case, we should head for the stargate. We'll bring you with us and you'll be safe. I promise."


	2. Unsolved Mystery

Thank you to my reviewers and story followers! I'm glad to see that this fanfic is having a good start. Enjoy!

Unsolved Mystery

"Run!"

Rodney pivoted away from the stargate, his annoyance growing as Teyla came racing out of the trees towards them with two strangers.

"Run from what? Ronon yanked us outta there just as I was just starting to tell Kivara about…"

"No time! Dial the gate, Rodney."

"But…"

"Now!"

The yelling wasn't necessary. Shepherd was already dialing.

"What happened, Teyla?" questioned the colonel. "Ronon wasn't exactly clear on the details."

"They were using these two people for slave labor to power their peat furnaces during the day. The others apparently died from exposure and exhaustion. The general population has no idea that Kivara is doing this, but her assistants won't be far behind us."

As if on cue, three crossbow bolts whizzed past them, one of which just missed the now-panicking Rodney.

"Not arrows!" he screeched.

Just as the gate opened, Evie cried out and ran to her companion. But the entire team knew before even investigating: that shot was fatal.

* * *

"How is she?"

Dr. Keller looked over her shoulder at the sleeping woman in the infirmary.

"Aside from a few scrapes and burns, she doesn't have any significant injuries. But she's exhausted, dehydrated, and as skinny as a rail; and she'll be feeling a little ill from inhaling all of that smoke. How long do you think she was down there?"

John shrugged.

"I think Teyla mentioned something about her 'appearing' a year and a half ago. But I don't think she's a local."

"No, she's not," the doctor responded cryptically. "Were the people in that village human?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"I'll let you know when I get more detailed results back. The effects of peat smoke inhalation can be pretty bad, but they also tend to go away pretty quick. I want to keep her here for a few days, so we'll have plenty of time to find out anything you want."

"Actually, we might be able to start now," noted Woolsey upon entering the infirmary and seeing that their guest was stirring. Jennifer acknowledged Woolsey's presence but continued talking to Shepherd.

"You know, I still can't believe that you actually ended up going on that mission, especially since we just had that Atero device incident two days ago. I figured Rodney would want to 'recuperate' for at least a week; he certainly was insistent about it when I invited him to go fishing on the mainland with me and the other doctors. I didn't think he'd volunteer so quickly for a mission."

"He insisted."

"Insisted!"

"Yeah…well, you know McKay. A call for technology assistance means a chance to show off."

Keller rolled her eyes.

"I'd better check those results."

"It seems Ronon has transferred some of his watchdog talents in the service of our new patient," the Atlantis leader continued, clearing his throat with indignation at being ignored and nodding to the muscular alien, who leaned against the far wall. "Now, do you mind telling me why we just snubbed a possible trading partner and picked up yet another straggler?"

John proceeded to give Woolsey the details of the mission and partially successful rescue of the two enslaved workers. He hadn't really liked Woolsey when he first came to Atlantis, honestly. He seemed like a bossy, by-the-book pencil-pusher with no room for improvisation. So far, however, he had adapted quite well and won the respect of most of the explorers.

* * *

Upon waking up, Evie's brain instantly went on alert upon seeing the strange surroundings, but her eyes were still heavy with exhaustion. She didn't seem to be a prisoner – there were no bonds holding her to the bed. Everything looked clean and sterile - probably a hospital of sorts - and several people were standing around. One she recognized as the man who had pretty much carried her out of the furnace cavern; the other she remembered as the seeming leader of the team waiting for her, Josar, and Teyla at the gate when they escaped.

A pretty young woman with dark blond hair just then approached her bed.

"I'm Doctor Jennifer Keller; I treated your injuries when the team brought you in earlier."

"Evelyn," she replied, surveying the apparent doctor with wary eyes. "Where am I?"

"Atlantis. Most locals think of it as the city of the Ancestors, but we've called it home for a few years now. Shepherd mentioned something about you not being able to remember how you got to Medavra."

"I…don't remember anything. Even who I am…just my name."

"Nothing?"

"Where's Josar?"

Jennifer looked rather uncomfortable for a moment.

"I'm afraid he didn't make it. The team was under heavy fire and he was, from what I hear, already dead. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Evelyn muttered, staring at nothing. "It's better than dying from that smoke. I've seen too many good people succumb to it over the past year. If we had stayed…" She shivered at the thought. "I want to thank your hulking friend over there for pulling me out, despite my protests, but all he does is stare from a distance."

Jennifer looked over at Ronon and laughed.

"Yeah, he does that. I'll go over and talk to him. He'll either leave or wait for me to talk him into coming over here, but, one way or the other, he'll at least stop pointlessly taking up room in my infirmary."

* * *

Ronon pursed his lips as Jennifer headed his direction. He didn't let her get close, but instead walked out of the infirmary before she could say anything.

The new arrival, Evelyn, was an interesting new puzzle. After getting all of the dust and grime cleaned off of her, he was finally able to see what she actually looked like. Her skin was deeply tanned; her almond-shaped eyes her were a soft blue; she had a delicate jawline; and her just past shoulder length, slightly wavy hair was a chocolate brown. She was about 5'5", fairly slim with a generous bust, and about equal to Teyla in muscle. Yeah, she was pretty. So what?

Luckily, he managed to escape the infirmary without being stopped by anyone since McKay was visiting a patient and Shepherd was talking with Woolsey.

* * *

"Yeah, I heard. They're, um, sending you back to Earth," Rodney noted, not feeling very sad at all about that news.

"Yeah, I guess I need some major patching up and recovery, and Landry prefers that I do that there instead of here, so…"

"Well, the _Daedalus_ has already picked up a gate, uh, leftover from the old Gate Bridge, and, uh, my team just installed it this morning, so we should have you home in, uh, no time at all."

"That's good. That is…good."

"Yes. So…" The silence following was rather awkward and Rodney looked about, making popping sounds with his mouth as he tried to think what to say next. "Well, it's been, um…unique."

'Unique' was putting it WAY too lightly. They had discovered an Ancient's secret lab and been captured by aliens in the middle of the night, who turned out to be Asgards bent on destroying the Wraith with a device that blew both the Wraith ships and any activated stargate in the galaxy, regardless of the consequences. Dr. Daniel Jackson had practically been cooked from the attempt to turn the device off; and, of course, it was plenty traumatic for McKay.

"Yes. Yes, it has. It sure has. But, I do want to say thank you for, uh…saying that you respected me when you thought I was about to die back there."

"Excuse me?" the touchy scientist shot back. "I said no such thing."

"Yeah, you did. You were like, um: 'um, I know it may not seem like it, but…I really respect you,' and that means a great…deal to me."

Daniel was trying to be polite (or trying to prove that McKay had even a shred of humility…which he, right now, did not).

"I don't believe I ever finished that sentence."

Daniel's warm smile faltered.

"How else would you have finished that sentence?"

"I, I, I…I would've said 'regret.' I would've said, 'I really regret you being here because none of this would've happened…otherwise.'"

"So you can only give compliments to the dying?"

Rodney shuffled his feet under Dr. Jackson's unbelieving gaze.

"It's something I'm working on."

Another awkward silence was diverted by Daniel offering his uneaten hospital tray of food.

"Do you want to try any of this?"

"Ooh. Fries?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go—dive right in. Take the-take the deal there."

McKay obligingly dove into the food, talking in between bites.

"By the way, on top of fixing the shields (which I finished _yesterday_, by the way), I went to this planet which now _used to be_ a trading partner of Teyla's people. Anyway, they were asking for help in 'making their power supply more efficient without attracting too much attention from the Wraith'; however, it turned out that they had already made big adjustments in the past year. Instead of having all of their working-age people helping with the power, a peat furnace a mile or so away from the village, they just had a couple of people…one of which has been there since they started it a year ago.

"Apparently, this girl just…_appeared_ on their world and they managed to make her keep the furnaces going ever since, even without any physical restraints keeping her there…at least, that's what Teyla said she said. I'm gonna ask our guest about it later."

"She's here?"

"Yeah…you didn't notice all the insanity since we got back?"

Daniel narrowed his eyes.

"It's the stargate; there's always something crazy going on."

"Right. You're used to it. But I just can't believe she survived a whole year like that! I'd die after the first week."

Jackson rolled his eyes, but his attention had been caught by 'just appeared on their world'.

"How did she get there?"

"Don't know," Rodney quickly said, distracted. "You didn't have any blue jell-o with this, did you?"

Suddenly, Jennifer appeared, whipping the hospital curtain aside.

"Did you see her?"

"Who?" asked Daniel, looking sideways.

"Evelyn, the girl the team just brought back. She's just…gone."

"What, did she just _walk out_?" Rodney suggested with a sarcastic laugh, which was stifled under Jennifer's glare.

"No. Woolsey and Shepherd were standing just at the entrance. I…don't understand."

"Appeared out of nowhere and disappeared into nowhere."

But where was nowhere?

* * *

Richard Woolsey leaned on the table of the briefing, very much interested in computer screen being manned by Dr. Keller.

"So, Doctor, I assume you have an explanation for how our guest just disappeared, since we're sitting here instead of worrying about missions and Wraith invasions."

"Well, you know that I got a sample of Evelyn's blood while she was here, and I decided to take a look at her DNA to see if there was any clue as to how she survived so long working under those conditions. The closest description I can up with is that she's a hybrid."

"As in 'kill-all-the-humans-and-enemy-Wraith _Michael's_ hybrid?"

"Nope. Much, much different." She then pulled up the medical results and the visuals of two DNA strands. "The one on the left is regular Earth human DNA; the other is Evelyn's. As you can see, she's _basically _human, but there are a few…discrepancies. She has…"

"The ATA gene?" Shepherd guessed, squinting at the screen. Jennifer was a little impressed that he actually recognized it. "But what other 'discrepancies' are there?"

"For one thing, she doesn't just have the ATA gene that lets her work Ancient tech; she _is _part Ancient. Whether she's descended from them or it was somehow later integrated into her DNA, I can't tell at this point."

"About those other discrepancies, Doctor?" Woolsey nudged.

"Well, there's something else there (similar) that I'm not quite familiar with from the Pegasus Galaxy. I recognize it from a file I may have read, but I can't place it."

"Goa'uld!" Rodney exclaimed, suddenly sitting straight. "She's part Goa'uld! I recognize the pattern from SG-1's files. But…how? There's no record or evidence that they got even close to the Pegasus Galaxy…and I'm sure the Ancients or the Wraith would have at least noted a need for 'pest repellant' if they had."

"I suppose those two would explain her endurance."

Woolsey shook his head and voiced his concerns.

"Part Ancient, part Goa'uld, and part human. That's quite a potent mix, Doctor. If she's a Goa'uld operative trying to infiltrate Atlantis…"

"We saved _her_. Remember?" Shepherd interrupted, rather grouchy since he hadn't eaten lunch yet. "Ronon had to _carry _her out of that furnace, kicking and screaming!"

"It could be a trick to make us think she's innocent."

"That doesn't explain her disappearance."

"She knows where we are, that we help when we're called by any random planet with power issues. Isn't that enough to report?"

"No, she would have probably been integrated into the community after recovering. What better undercover setup could there be? Plus, how did she get here in the first place, if she was working for the Goa'uld? And how did she get the Ancient DNA?"

"All good questions, but I suppose we'll never know."

"Um, one of the nurses did find a large amount of morphine missing from our stores. Don't know if that helps, but there it is," the medical doctor stated.

"Maybe she ascended!" Rodney suggested gleefully. "She purposefully overdosed on morphine so she could die and ascend and get the heck out of here."

"Rodney," said Shepherd, lowering his voice, "even I think that's a little far fetched."

"What? Stranger things have happened."


	3. Unwelcome

So sorry it's taken me so long to update! Life is insane.

Unwelcome

Weeks later…

"Sure! The fact that the Pegasus Galaxy could be getting overrun by Wraith who could come blasting into Earth's atmosphere over our heads at any second doesn't even hold a _candle _to the brilliant discoveries you're making to solve _your_ little problems. Let's just let Atlantis sit in the middle of the San Francisco Bay until it rots from lack of use and we're all too old to remember why we need to get her powered back up as soon as possible!"

"Rodney, I _am_ working on your problem," Samantha Carter tried to explain. "But I'm also heading my own team to advance Earth's defenses and accompanying SG-1 on missions every week. Give me a break."

"What about Dr. Jackson? He's the foremost expert on the Ancients. What's he doing to help?"

"Actually, Daniel is translating some Ancient text we found that might relate to a stash of ZPMs in this galaxy. Now, can you leave me to my work?"

Rodney looked hurt.

"But…but why didn't anyone tell me they found something?"

"Honestly, probably because you would have gotten in the way just like you are now. I'm sorry, Rodney, but you've been extra…annoying since you got here. If I didn't know you better, I'd think you missed the adventure of the Pegasus Galaxy."

"Yeah. Well. I guess you don't know me as well as you thought," the man sniffed.

For the first time in the conversation, Sam finally relaxed a bit and looked away from the computer screen.

"So, I, uh…hear that you and Jennifer are quite an item now."

"Yeah. You…you missed out on a good thing," he answered with a nervous laugh. "She's visiting her folks in Iowa. I...just came from there. Are you…dating anyone?"

Sam sucked the air in through her teeth.

"It's a little complicated."

"Still, huh?" A familiar silence swept onto the scene. "I'll go check on Dr. Jackson."

"You do that."

"Good seeing you, though," he tried with a final effort. Sam gave her infamous 'not really' stare.

"Just go, Rodney."

"Yep. Going."

* * *

"You know, that translation would have gone a lot quicker if you had actually told me about it."

"I was doing fine," Daniel growled. "Besides…you were out of town."

"Yeah, let's just…focus on getting the ZPMs."

Soon after Rodney had volunteered his admirable assistance in the Ancient translation, the duo had deciphered that the Ancients had kept several ZPMs on what was designated as P5C-189. The M.A.L.P. indicated that the planet was heavily forested with blue skies, mild weather, 73 degrees, and two suns; there was even a settlement of sorts about two miles from the gate. Rodney had finally convinced General Landry to let some Atlantis members (himself included) come along; the team ultimately included Col. Mitchell, Col. Carter, Dr. Jackson, Vala Maldoran, Teal'c, Col. Shepherd, Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla. Of the people who weren't actually important to this particular mission, Vala, Ronon, and Teyla were coming simply to stem off boredom and Teal'c wanted to be with SG-1 while he visited Earth from his dealings with the Jaffa.

Rodney had actually gotten into a bit of an argument with Ronon and Teyla when he had found them in the gate room:

"_You won't have anything to do."_

"_What if you need somebody to shoot something?" Ronon had asked with a blank face._

"_We won't need to shoot anything, _Conan_. The Ancients probably abandoned this outpost ages ago and the text said that there weren't any resources that would attract any half-witted race."_

"_We're going, Rodney," Teyla stated with a note of finality._

"_It's better than sitting around here," the other man concluded._

* * *

"Now I could spend some leave time here," Cameron declared with a boyish grin.

"Sounds good to me," John agreed.

Samantha, ever focused on work, wandered around staring at her scanner.

"Come on, Sam! Can't you just look around and enjoy the view for a minute?"

Sam looked up and gave Cameron a quick smile before reporting,

"The settlement should be about two miles north of here." She noticed the patrolling Teal's and Ronon give negative shakes of the head. "Looks like we'll have to trek through some forest. Unfortunately, if the ZPMs are here, they're somehow shielded so they don't give off an energy signature. And I'm not detecting any power from the settlement. I'm reading life signs, but I think they're mostly just animals rather than humanoids."

"Brilliant," Rodney grumbled. "It's too bad you people don't have jumpers…one of the things I miss about having Atlantis as a base."

"Don't worry, Rodney. As soon as we find these ZPMs and the Wraith are driven off, your little band can hopefully be back on their way to Pegasus…unless…"

"Unless what?"

Sam paused as the team wandered through the thin underbrush.

"Unless the IOA or the Department of Defense decides to keep it around."

"But that would mean the natives of Pegasus Galaxy would not be able to return home," Teyla observed with notable restraint.

"Teyla, I promise we'll do everything we can to get you back home and help with the defeat of the Wraith. The IOA hasn't gotten the better hand yet; we won't let it happen."

"Thank you."

* * *

"It's a farm. Powered by a water wheel. How could these people possibly know about ZPMs?" growled Rodney.

"We've been surprised like this before," replied Teyla. "Maybe the inhabitants know where the ZPMs are."

"Well, no one seems to be around, so…let's take a look. We should check out the treeline for any ancient trails or ruins."

With a roll of his eyes, Ronon headed towards the other end of the two-acre clearing where a large wooden barn stood. He ignored Shepherd's jest that he be 'back by ten'.

The fence around the field seemed to extend beyond the clearing into the trees to give the three grazing horses the maximum feeding ground. On the end of the field Ronon had just arrived from was a small log cabin and a strong-flowing creek with a water wheel. About an acre of the field was apparently used for farming; the squeal of a pig could be heard from the barn he was headed towards. The inside of the barn was spacious with a high, straw-filled loft and six stalls. The many open windows allowed a flood of light to enter the space.

Sudden movement in the hayloft caught the man's attention. He shot up the ladder just in time to see a shock of blonde hair disappear through the window. He tried to follow, but, upon finding that it had been locked from the outside, Ronon instead jumped down from the loft, whereupon he discovered Teyla, Vala, and Daniel Jackson.

"Someone's here," he announced simply.

"Well, we kind of figured that someone might be living here," Daniel stated, followed by the brunette.

"We may have frightened the inhabitants into hiding. We have not investigated the house yet, but there may be someone there."

"There was someone _here_," insisted Ronon.

"Whatever you say, big boy," Vala muttered, moving to sit on a hay bale. Before she could actually sit, however, two very large brown and black dogs came barreling into the barn, snarling and barking. Everyone scrambled to the hayloft except Ronon, who stood on the ladder just out of the dogs' reach and got his gun out.

"Ronon, don't!" Teyla shouted before the others could interject.

"Why not?" he growled.

"Remember that we are the intruders here. These animals are merely trying to protect their territory."

"And they could be the pets of whoever actually lives here," Daniel added, motioning to Ronon's gun, "so…"

Reluctantly, the man holstered his weapon.

"We need to somehow calm them or get around them."

Ronon shook his head and, with a forced smile, queried,

"Any suggestions?"

* * *

"Evie! Evie!"

Evie looked away from cleaning the Ancient pillar.

"What is it, Greta?"

The brunette looked down at the panting young girl with concern.

"I was in the hay loft and…I heard voices. A big man came in, but I jumped out the window before he could catch me. On my way here, I saw others. They're armed and they look like they're looking for something."

"What do they look like? Are they Goa'uld? Ori? Wraith? Human?"

"I don't know. They look like us."

Evelyn didn't know why she expected Greta to know what the difference was between a Wraith and a Human. The child had been on this planet since she was a year old and the only aliens she had seen since were mere humanoid brigands from the nearest populated planet.

"Hm. That doesn't help much. Let's go take a look. Stay close. Did you see the dogs on your way?"

"Danielle and Zax went to the barn as soon as I left. I think at least two of the strangers were still in there."

"Well, if these aliens are friendly, as long as they don't point a gun at those dogs, they should be fine."

* * *

"Ronon, put your gun away, for the last time," Teyla groaned, knowing she was going to be ignored. "Can't you see that they only attack more when you threaten them?"

"Who's threatening?" was the reply. "They're not the ones stuck on a ladder."

The light from outside was suddenly dimmed as the barn door was closed, though light still entered through the windows. The dogs instantly settled down to a low growling.

One of the newcomers was the owner of the blonde hair he had seen disappear through the window, a pale-skinned, flat-nosed girl of about twelve.

The woman with her had deeply tanned skin, light blue eyes, and waist-length wavy brown hair. She was about 5'5", fairly slim, muscular, shapely, and looked to be about twenty-three. At least she had filled out since last time. What was different most of all was the crossbow cradled in her right arm.

"Evelyn!" remarked Teyla. "What… How did you get here?"

Vala peeked over the edge of the loft, saying,

"Wait. You know her?"

Evelyn ignored the comments and addressed them while subtly pushing the young girl behind her.

"Who are you and what do you want on this planet?" Apparently, she didn't remember them. She gently fingered the crossbow trigger. "I'll not ask again."

"We're explorers from a planet called Earth," Daniel piped up. "And…if you called your dogs off, maybe we could, uh, actually introduce ourselves…? I don't know about the others, but I prefer to exchange pleasantries without a weapon pointed at me."

The girl narrowed her eyes, but lowered her crossbow a little and, after another minute, called to the dogs.

"Zax! Danielle! Release!" Slightly disappointed, the animals obeyed. "But know this, explorers: one word, and these dogs will tear you apart, guns or no."

* * *

Sam looked straight ahead as she walked across the field, tolerantly listening to yet another one of Colonel Mitchell's stories

"So, there I was, pinned down by enemy fire when, out of nowhere, came this huge…"

"Look!"

The others glanced over at the barn.

"Yeah, Ronon and the others probably didn't find anything. Anyway, I was…"

"No, there's someone else with him," the woman insisted, marching off towards the oncoming group; the strangers were each wearing simple brown pants and an off-white shirt. After finally getting the hint, the two colonels with her followed.

"Ronon, what have I told you about picking up strays," John jokingly chided before actually seeing the new adult. "Evelyn! From the peat planet!"

"Medevra," Teyla corrected.

"How did you get here?"

Evelyn scowled, taking in the newcomers' appearance. She seemed disinclined to answer that particular question; however, the young girl with her was more than willing.

"She just appeared out of nowhere about…" She cut off upon seeing Evelyn's scathing gaze.

Daniel, meanwhile, leaned over McKay and muttered,

"That sounds a little familiar."

McKay took that idea and ran with it on a completely different path:

"Okay, quit the act, kid. We know who you are; we just don't know how you got here."

"Why did you disappear? How?" Teyla added, trying to be kind in curiosity.

Evelyn stared at them blankly, her pale eyes reflecting none of the emotions within.

"I don't know who you are," she stated. "But you are on my land…."

"My parents' land," the child interrupted, unheard.

"…and I want to know what you're doing here. I will answer no questions until then."

Daniel took the lead at that point.

"It's only fair. We're explorers from a planet called Earth. We found an Ancient text that indicated that that this gate address had a ZPM, a power source. Now, Rodney, are you saying that this is the woman from that planet that used forced labor? The one that disappeared while I was at Atlantis?"

"The very same," Teyla answered. "What I don't understand, Evelyn, is how you appeared here, in a completely different galaxy? Do you have the ability to ascend like the Ancestors?"

Evelyn looked rather miffed by the harassment of questioning and began fingering the trigger on her crossbow again.

"We saved your life!" John growled, just now a little agitated. "The least you could do is tell us how you got from Atlantis to here."

"You don't know what you're asking," she stated with a leveled voice.

Before anymore of the peculiar dialogue could occur, Ronon came up from behind Evelyn and snatched the crossbow from her grasp. She responded instantly by grabbing the young girl by the wrist and bolting. Still unsure of what they were up against exactly, Samantha ordered them to let her go for the moment.

"Well, that was interesting. I guess we should at least inspect this otherwise 'lifeless' farm. McKay, why don't you take Dr. Jackson and Ronon and follow our friend. Maybe she'll lead you to the ZPMs."

"And if she tries to kill us?" McKay snipped.

"You have Ronon. And, if you do run into her and encounter trouble, try not to hurt her."


	4. Captive

Captive

"I don't like her," mumbled Ronan.

"You don't like anyone when you first meet them," Rodney chided sourly, pouting.

"Look who's talking!"

"Hey!"

"Quiet, you two!" Daniel hissed. "I think I saw something."

It turned out to be nothing more than a rabbit.

Rolling his eyes, Ronon walked on. He, McKay, and Dr. Jackson had been selected to follow Evelyn's tracks into the trees in case she led them to a possible ZPM site. The others had split up to investigate the property, check in with the SGC, and look for any other signs of life other than what they had already discovered. The longer they walked, the older and bigger the trees became. Eventually, they began to see some hopeful signs: moss-covered blocks of stone, too perfectly square to be natural, strewn about the ground.

"The girl!" Ronon shouted, taking off into the woods after a shock of blonde hair.

"Hey, wait up!" both doctors cried after him, but the big man was out of sight in the trees.

"Well, I guess we're lost!" McKay growled.

"Please! Ronon'll come back before long." There was silence. "He will come back, right?"

"Depends on how long it takes him to track down that girl, shoot her, and drag her back to the team."

"Sh…shoot her?! He _will _come back for us, _right_?"

Rodney sat down on a log and opened up a Powerbar.

"This, Dr. Jackson, is where we build up our strength with a bit of sustenance before panicking and running around in circles for three hours before someone finds us."

Daniel stared in disbelief.

"O…kay. Now to think of a real plan. Why don't we just follow Ronon? His trail is pretty obvious."

"Which should make it very easy for me to track him down, if I so choose, once I have you two tied up," Evelyn stated, emerging from behind a tree carrying a large alien rifle. Rodney dropped his Powerbar in his hurry to put his hands up. Daniel wasn't far behind. She roughly tossed several strings of rope at Daniel. "Guns on the ground. Tie up your friend. Tightly."

"I wouldn't exactly call him my friend," Daniel grumbled, obeying her order and bending down to the still-sitting, panic-stricken scientist. Evelyn remained hovering with her gun. "You know…we're not your enemies."

"The last time strangers came to this world, Greta's parents disappeared."

"But we're not strangers!" McKay squeaked while Evelyn swiftly bound Daniel's wrists. "We met a few months ago! The natives were forcing you to keep their peat furnaces burning." His argument was ignored. The woman proceeded to rip off McKay's T-shirt sleeve, draw out a dagger from her belt, and, despite the man's shocked protests, cut into the scientist's forearm just enough to let the blood cover the torn fabric. "What'd you do that for?!"

Daniel answered, staring calmly at the girl,

"She's hoping to scare the others away by showing that she killed us."

"We're not dead yet."

Daniel looked deep into Evelyn's eyes as she double-checked his restraints.

"She won't kill us."

Instead, she knocked both men unconscious with a blow to the head with her rifle.

* * *

"Sam, remind me why we're trudging through the underbrush," Cameron muttered.

"I'm getting some sort of reading in this direction, but I can't pinpoint it. It might lead to the ZPMs."

"You know, I'm starting to slightly doubt that there's actually a stash of ZPMs on this planet. We have trees, one farm, and two women. I'm not seeing any signs of Ancient civilization."

"It's probably well-hidden. The trees closer to the clearing couldn't be more than a hundred years old. If there was an Ancient civilization, it's probably in an older section of the forest."

A limp piece of cloth suddenly dropped to the ground at their feet. It was covered in blood. A pair of familiar glasses followed it. The team looked up to discover Evelyn standing before them, partially shielded by a large evergreen.

"Obviously, you didn't take my hints seriously. Three of your companions will not be returning with you to your planet. The rest of you, however, will be going back now."

"What have you done with our friends?" Sam demanded as Shepherd picked up the bloodied sleeve and glasses.

"They're dead. You will be too if you don't leave. Whatever you were after, you're going to have to leave it."

"Okay. _That's_ not gonna happen," said Cameron. "So, what's your alternative."

"Well, I already killed two of your friends. If you don't leave, I'll kill the third. And, where he is, you'll never find him."

Suddenly, a gun was fired and Evelyn collapsed with a blaster wound in her side, revealing Ronon standing behind her with his pistol still aiming at the woman.

"I wouldn't bet on that," he growled.

"Ronon, you could have shot one of us!" Shepherd whined.

"I wasn't aiming at you."

"Well, what happened?"

"She sent Greta to draw Ronon away and lead him on a wild goose chase for a while so she could deal with Rodney and me. She just overestimated how long it would take Ronon to catch the girl," Daniel explained, pushing forward a very haggard Greta. "I don't think she wanted to really hurt any of us. She could have easily killed us back there, but, instead, she left us tied up."

"Speak for yourself!" squealed McKay, finishing off a bandage on his bloody arm and walking threateningly up to the twelve-year-old. "All right, Blondie, enough games. Where are the ZPMs?" The child stared defiantly with her arms crossed. "Listen, we're not the bad guys here. We don't know what happened to your folks or what Psycho Chick is doing here. We just want the ZPMs. You're obviously not using them."

"Maybe she doesn't know what they are, Rodney," Teyla suggested.

"Okay. They're, um…power sources…kind of cylinder-shaped, about this long…they might glow orange…?"

"Why should I help you? You hurt Evie," Greta demanded.

"Listen," Daniel interrupted, putting his glasses on, "this was all a big misunderstanding. We'll help Evie, but it's important that we find the ZPMs. You said your parents disappeared; maybe we can help you find them."

The child's face brightened at the thought.

"It's where Evie takes her daily walk!"

"Um, I hate to interrupt negotiations," said a cautious Vala, who had, until that moment, remained in the background, "and I'm no doctor…but our sleeping friend seems to be getting a bit pale."

"Okay. I'll make a deal with you, Greta. You help us find the ZPMs and, in return, we'll help Evie and look for your parents."

Greta bit her lip, trying to hold back a grin.

"Agreed."

"Okay," Cameron cut in, "Teal'c, Vala, Ronon, Teyla, and I will take our friend back to the SGC for medical attention and report the situation. The rest of you will go find those ZPMs. We'll dial in at 1500 hours for an update."

* * *

After Ronon had scooped Evelyn up into his arms and departed with Mitchell, the remaining members of the team and their guide made excellent progress. It only took them half an hour to reach a patch of ruins that looked promising. While Daniel went straight to photographing the Ancient text all over the moss-covered pillars and Colonel Shepherd checked the perimeter, Sam and McKay followed Greta into a one-room stone building. The inside was pristine. A pile of browning moss outside, a broom, and several cloth rags indicated recent cleaning. The text-covered walls were perfectly clean.

"Daniel's gonna be in heaven when he sees this," the Colonel whispered. "Some of these columns look like gate addresses."

In the center of the building was a polished, waist-high black rock dome with no apparent latch or buttons. Curiously, McKay put his hand on the top and rested it there for a moment. Instantly, five openings appeared around the dome.

McKay smirked.

"Thank you, Ancient gene." Then, five ZPMs raised their heads out of those holes. "Ah! Sam, I think we found a new mother load of ZPMs! Haha! I can't believe it! This…this is fantastic! We have to tell General Landry!"

"Congrats, Rodney," Sam said with a grin. "Looks like there's hope for us after all. First, though, let's make sure that we didn't set off any booby traps."

* * *

"So, according to this girl, there really might be one or two ZPMs on that planet after all?"

"Yes, sir," Mitchell confirmed. "Our guest apparently knew where they were and just wasn't telling us."

"There is a chance that there is a reason for her protecting the ZPMs," Teyla offered, leaning forward in her seat. "Greta just may not know about it."

"And whatever happened to that girl's parents? For all we know, Evelyn killed them because they got too close to her precious ZPMs."

Vala finally gave her input:

"But, I thought Daniel said she didn't seem to want to hurt anyone. She had plenty of opportunity when she captured them."

"She could have been keeping them alive just in case we weren't scared away by her threat."

"I wouldn't put it past her," growled Ronon as he rested a leg on the table. "She underestimated us, but she's smart. Given another opportunity, she wouldn't make the same mistakes."

"What do we know about this woman?" Landry inquired, digging deeper.

"She's strange," Cam instantly pointed out, but Teyla elaborated.

"Before Atlantis came to Earth, we came across a planet called Medevra, the people of which my people used to have as trade partners. We discovered that, beginning about a year previously, they had been using this woman and those who became suspicious to keep their furnaces burning for power. She is apparently very resilient; the others put with her died due exposure from the smoke. I suppose they found it convenient to have a few people supply their power while they led leisurely lives. We rescued her, but she disappeared from the infirmary. We never thought we would see her again."

"How did she escape?" Landry inquired.

"There was evidence that she killed herself with a drug overdose…and she is part Ancient, so we assume that she ascended."

"Do we know why she would kill herself?"

"Nope," cut in Ronon. "She wouldn't tell us anything then and she won't tell us anything now."

"We don't know that," Teyla stated sternly, looking at Ronon with scathing eyes. "The first time, we didn't give her a chance to explain herself. We snatched her up without any questions, brought her to Atlantis, and took her blood without explanation. This time, we invaded her new home, chased her around, and shot her. Not only do we know nothing about her, but she knows nothing about us. We could be as bad as the Wraith for all she knows." Ronon rolled his eyes. "Ronon, before you judge this young woman, keep in mind how you met us."

"You said that you took this girl's blood," Landry prodded. "Do you know if Dr. Keller found anything out that would explain her behavior?"

"Enough to possibly explain why she was so resilient and how she escaped. Dr. Keller said that she is a hybrid – there is a combination of human, Goa'uld, and Ancient in her DNA."

"Goa'uld _and_ Ancient? Any relation to Anubis?"

"Who?"

"Long story. Until we hear from the rest of your team, we should talk to our guest and try to find out what's really going on. Teyla and Colonel Carter can talk to the girl when she gets back with the others. Teal'c and Ronon, you talk to Evelyn, for now. She knows Ronon and having Teal'c in there might give us a hint of how significantly Goa'uld she is."

* * *

Evelyn woke to a sharp pain in her side and bright lights glaring down at her. She remained perfectly still and only opened her eyes enough to see in order to avoid anyone noticing that she was conscious. She was in a hospital or infirmary of sorts. She heard people talking quietly nearby; one of them mentioned a gunshot wound. In front of her was a woman with a white coat, brown hair, and a very serious expression.

Suddenly, the serious woman turned around in a flash to face off the newcomers, whom Evelyn could not quite see.

"I know this girl is technically your prisoner, but she's my patient and she needs her rest after _you _shot her."

"She didn't exactly give me a choice," a familiar voice argued.

"She needs to rest! It took me half an hour to patch up the damage you did."

A deeper voice entered the fray.

"Doctor Lam, I am afraid General Landry has ordered us to question this woman, if it is at all possible. I give my word that she will remain unharmed."

That was the last straw. Evelyn felt that there was a needle imbedded in her arm. If only there was a way to reach it without attracting too much attention…

* * *

"Doctor!"

Doctor Lam's attention shot to where her nurse was looking and she flew into action. Her new patient was attempting to tear a hole through her own arm using the IV needle. With Teal'c and Ronon holding her down, the doctor was able to begin repairing the damage, which was surprisingly significant. There was a strange desperation in the girl's eyes, as if her life depended on death.

"We only wish to speak with you," Teal'c encouraged, but Evelyn seemed to not hear it. Instead, she just began whispering a plea that pulled at Dr. Lam's heartstrings a little. It took her a minute to realize that the words were not directed to the captors.

"Please, just let me die! Please, I can't go on without it. Don't let them take the one thing I have left! This wasn't my fault. Why are you punishing me? I'm just…"

Her words faded as the doctor gave her sedative.

"Boys, I think you'll have to come back later."

"Perhaps restraints would be advisable until she knows that we will not harm her," suggested Teal'c.

"Or until we know she won't harm herself."

* * *

"Come on, guys! I didn't even get halfway through the Ancient text!"

Landry casually responded Daniel's complaints.

"Don't worry, Dr. Jackson. Your ruins will get translated. I'll have SG-22 with Dr. Balinsky check it out first thing tomorrow." Daniel grimaced but said nothing. "Carter, I suggest you take our young guest to the infirmary for a check-up. Teyla will meet you later to interview her. I want to find out why her friend is suicidal."

* * *

Greta hopped up from her guest room bed upon hearing the door open. Two women from the alien team entered, both with smiles on their faces. It was quite an encouraging sight after the traumatizing hour of Evie being shot and dragged away.

"Is Evie all right? They wouldn't let me see her when I was in the infirmary."

"She's resting. Our doctors are taking very good care of her. You don't need to worry about her," the blond-haired one said with an encouraging smile. "I'm Sam."

"And I'm Teyla," the other woman offered, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed. "We were wondering if we could ask some questions about Evelyn. We met her once before and we would like to know how she arrived on your world."

"Why?" Greta asked, hopping onto the bed next to Teyla.

"We're worried about her. She keeps trying to hurt herself and we're hoping that you can tell us why."

"Are you sure you can help her?"

"We'll do everything we can," Sam stated with another smile, putting a hand on Greta's shoulder. "We just need to know more about her before we can help her."

"Okay. My mother found Evie one morning on her way to the stables. She was just laying out in the field, naked."

"Wait…naked? Sorry. Go on."

"She didn't seem to remember anything about herself, so we took her in and let her work on our farm. Everything was fine until the aliens came. They ruined everything! My parents disappeared when they left. My father told Evelyn to keep me safe and that's exactly what she did, so I can't blame her. She took me into the forest for five days. For two of those horrid nights, we weren't even able to make a fire for fear of the burglars catching us. By the time we got back to the farm, everything was gone. But…only a few days later, when I went to fetch some firewood, it was all back."

"What do you mean?"

"The house, the barn, the mill…it had all been either burned down or completely trashed. When I got back that day, the farm was back, good as new."

"Greta…how long ago was this?"

"About three months ago."

"That farm was in perfect condition!"

"Exactly."

"How?"

"She saved my life. I didn't ask."

"And she was originally found in a field with no memory?"

"…yes."

"Daniel's gonna want to hear this."

* * *

Evelyn opened her eyes to silence and general darkness with the exception of the dim hospital lights. Assuming that no one was around, she attempted to sit up, only to be held down by the leather restraints on her wrists and ankles. With a mere thought, her limbs were released. But someone was here! But he was asleep, so she was safe to use her powers…she could already feel them weakening.

What was that scientist doing at her bedside? He was slumped in his chair, holding his glasses limply in his left hand. Dr. Jackson was his name, if she remembered correctly. What interest did he have in her? There was something strangely familiar about him, but she didn't have time to figure it out. The stargate was probably guarded and she sensed that they were underground, so she would have to find her way back up to the surface…

* * *

"She what?!"

"Disappeared. Escaped."

"You mean to tell me that our…guest…has escaped from our top secret, tightly secure military base?"

Colonel Carter shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, sir. But it wasn't like when she escaped from Atlantis."

"So, she didn't ascend again."

"No, sir. We've found security footage of her bypassing security, knocking out one of the guards without even touching him, and managing to get through the front gate without tripping any alarms."

"Was she invisible? How did she get past security?"

"It seems that everyone around her just suddenly thought that it was fine to let her pass."

"Mind control."

"Maybe."

"Well, what are you waiting for, Colonel? Get a team together and find that woman!"


End file.
